McInerney continues hot streak as Union edge Revs

CHESTER — Three games, three goals … and Jack McInerney swears he’s just doing his thing.

The third-year striker — and first-year regular — has required some time to find his place in the Union attack. And after ending a nine-match scoreless drought with a three-match scoring streak, it seems he’s nice and cozy as the Union’s target man.

McInerney’s tally in the 73rd minute broke a scoreless match and gave the Union a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution Saturday night at PPL Park.

“I feel like we’re just creating a lot of opportunities and right now I’m the one on the end of them all,” said McInerney, who tallied for the seventh time this season.

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The win over the Revolution (7-17-8), one of the few Eastern Conference teams at which the Union (10-15-6) aren’t staring up, helped solidify the club’s first winning streak in three months. Not since winning July 8 and July 14 had the Union strung together a pair of wins.

McInerney, a 20-year-old striker, became a starter after John Hackworth unseated Peter Nowak as Union manager. He’s had a topsy-turvy campaign. At times, he’s played like the point man the Union need both this season and beyond. At other spots, he’s looked lost.

McInerney knew exactly where he needed to be Saturday, putting down roots at the 6-yard line to await midfielder Keon Daniel’s free kick from the right side of the pitch. There, McInerney rose above a pack to deposit his eighth goal of the season.

Daniel played superbly in his second consecutive start, delivering a number of on-the-mark free kicks. It just so happened that McInerney was able to put one in.

“I proved that I can score goals at the youth level and that’s why Coach Hack drafted me here,” McInerney said. “For him to give me the opportunity and for me to finally put in goals game after game shows his belief in me and my ability.”

It was the fourth time in franchise history that a Union player scored a goal in three consecutive matches.

But McInerney didn’t win it alone.

Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath kept things level in the 70th minute, prior to McInerney’s tally. MacMath broke down the Revolution’s Fernando Cardenas’ every move at the outer edge of the box. Ultimately, MacMath prevented Cardenas from ripping off a shot just long enough for Union defenders Ray Gaddis and Carlos Valdes to catch up and prevent trouble.

“It was a good ball in. You have to be ready early on,” MacMath said. “I stayed on my line and it came right to me. I made a good reaction to it.”

MacMath looked even better in the 86th, sprawling out to get in front of a head-flicked free kick from New England’s Ryan Guy. The save solidified MacMath’s eighth shutout.

“It happens a lot in practice, with guys dancing over the ball,” he said. “I was fortunate I didn’t bite on it or anything.”

McInerney, who came off in the 81st minute in favor of veteran defender Chris Albright, overcame a series of close calls to collect the game-winning tally — the fourth of his MLS career.

In the 11th minute, on a breakaway opportunity, McInerney rushed his run into the right side of the box and pushed his right-footed shot well past the far post. McInerney was involved again in the 53rd, putting his forehead on a free-kick cross from Daniel, but pushing it well over the crossbar.

“That’s what goal scorers do. They’ve got to forget about the last one and they’ve got to go right back at it,” Hackworth said. “Jack was unlucky not to be on the board early in that first half. I just told him, ‘Don’t put your head down. Just keep knocking,’ and he did.”